Pakistani Lesbian Couple Become First Muslim Women to Marry in the UK

Donning white wedding dresses, the couple said their vows before friends at the Registrar in Leeds.

However, celebrating their newlywed bliss will have to wait. The couple’s relatives in Pakistan have received death threats in the days following their nuptials. Kausar and Kamar, both on student visas, are now are seeking political asylum in the UK.

“The problem with Pakistan is that everyone believes he is in charge of other people lives and can best decide about the morals of others but that’s not the right approach,” Kausar said. “This country allows us rights and it’s a very personal decision that we have taken. It’s no one’s business as to what we do with our personal lives.”

According to Pakistani law, same-sex sexual acts are illegal and there are no civil rights laws to prohibit discrimination or harassment on the basis of a person’s sexuality and same-sex marriages.